A round of applause, everyone! For the first time since the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the US Army has promoted an openly gay soldier to the rank of General. Tammy S. Smith was promoted from Colonel to Brigadier General last Friday in a ceremony in Washington D.C.; her wife, Tracey Hepner, affixed Smith’s General’s star to her uniform. Following Congress’s repeal of DADT in December 2010, Smith and Hepner married in March 2011, although the formal end of DADT by the Pentagon wasn’t implemented until September of that year. Despite predictions by the Christian right, the promotion failed to cause Planet Earth to spin out of orbit into the sun.

Needless to say, it’s highly improbable that Smith is truly the first gay flag-rank officer in the military; she’s merely the first that the military has publicly acknowledged and who can simply say that she’s gay without her career being endangered. Sue Fulton of OutServe, a coalition of gay and lesbian service members, said “Once we get over each ‘first,’ each hurdle of ‘Well, that’s never been done before,’ it makes it a nonissue going forward.” So congratulations, Gaymerica, on this latest step on the road to the coveted status of No Big Deal. Consider how the story is presented in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes — it’s news, but not a cause for freaking out, and the comments are largely congratulatory despite the presence of a few trolls.

For a change, Your Wonkette is just going with the feel-good side of this story. We know that wingnuts and homophobes are proclaiming this one more sign of impending doom, and yes, there’s already plenty of online ugliness commenting on it, but it’s not worth the agita to link to ‘em. (Oh, OK — just one anger porn comment: A Freeper said the General and her wife are a “Couple of ugly man-broads.” So, yay, they are Olympians too now? They rule!) Rest assured, the minute Bryan Fissure says something suitably stupid about it, we’ll run a follow-up. For now, we’re happy to just celebrate the milestone.

About the author

Doktor Zoom Is the pseudonym of Marty Kelley, who lives in Boise, Idaho. He acquired his nym from a fan of Silver-Age comics after being differently punctual to too many meetings. He is not a medical doctor, although he has a real PhD (in Rhetoric and Composition).

Nah, they are spread out over all the services to ensure that all the softball teams are competitive.

Amanwithnoplan

In the Nay-vee is more of a Village People thing. Get your gays straight.

http://gratuity.wordpress.com/ Gratuitous World

For the record, Paul Ryan would not let her serve.

Biel_ze_Bubba

Killer Q for the debates: "Would you force her to resign?"

ChernobylSoup

This is what America is supposed to be about.

Dr_Zoidberg

Hell to the yes!

http://www.wonkette.com Lionel[redacted]Esq

Hot Lesbian Sex?

SorosBot

Woohoo!

freakishlywrong

"A Freeper said the General and her wife are a “Couple of ugly man-broads.”
Dollars to donuts, that fucking Freeper sure as fuck hasn't served.

MissTaken

And I'd bet $10,000 that Freeper is one ugly man who has never been naked with a broad.

SorosBot

Well maybe he has – just only with professionals he's had to pay for.

elviouslyqueer

Or ones he's had to self-inflate.

Not_So_Much

By "broad" do you mean human only? I wouldn't be shocked to learn that there are some mighty jumpy sheep near his double-wide…

http://www.wonkette.com Lionel[redacted]Esq

Bet he watches lesbian porn.

CommieLibunatic

I can GUARANTEE it. Whenever I hear someone bemoaning homosexuality, it's always about the proverbial Two Gay Guys having buttsecks. On the other hand, try finding me a volume of Girls Gone Wild that doesn't have drunk 18-year-olds doing things they heard about on the Internet.

All my rages. ALL of them.

Gleem McShineys

Yes, but…Only for research!*

*Re-Search: the act of hunting for your teeny weenis formerly lost under your floppy freepergut

ProgressiveInga

I call your donuts and raise you an Anus Burger that said freeper is Skoal Rebel's doppelganger.

freakishlywrong

And female..

PubOption

But don't the Freepers think that all female soldiers are lesbians, anyway?

MissTaken

Congrats! yay!

Oblios_Cap

So congratulations, Gaymerica, on this latest step on the road to the coveted status of No Big Deal.

It's about fucking time.

CommieLibunatic

Seriously. Before DADT was repealed, we were in a club that included Iran, North Korea, and basically all the east coast of Africa in disallowing teh gheys to serve openly. For fuck's sake, even ISRAEL was more progressive than us.

Oblios_Cap

We're determined to live in the 1800s because we think that makes us, somehow, exceptional. It only makes America exceptionally stupid.

NorthStarSpanx

I for one, welcome our future POTUS and First Lady. They make a handsome couple.

chicken_thief

The General is a cutey. But then I'm a sucker for a woman in glasses.

freakishlywrong

One step forward-two, white-bread, GOP candidates back.

Dr_Zoidberg

You go, girls!

noodlesalad

When Mittens is asked about this he will do that uncomfortable chuckle nonstop until Ryan hits the reset button.

http://whatisawatthedevolution.blogspot.com imissopus

Ah, something I can read this morning that makes me feel good and does not send me into paroxysms of rage and despair. Thanks, Dok.

vulpes82

Wonkette still feels so strange after Ken's last Year of Living Suicidally.

emmelemm

Don't worry, the day is young.

But yes, this is true good news.

LastGasp

A Freeper said the General and her wife are a “Couple of ugly man-broads.”

Funny, I thought the same thing the first time I saw a picture of Romney and Ryan.

Oblios_Cap

I still think it.

http://johnnyzhivago.blogspot.com johnnyzhivago

Romney is so metrosexual you would almost like to wonder if he's hiding his taxes because of all the boyfriends paying blackmail to.

I think he meant it as shorthand for "old queen" – always immaculately coiffed and dressed, in the kind of casual chic you'd expect a rich old queer to wear to blend in on the Hamptons party circuit or the Newport yacht club.

Why does this woman have to stomp all over my rights while defending my rights?

Oblios_Cap

What with her cushy government job and free denatal and medical care. Socialismz!

NellCote71

I know. I so feel like Lou Sarah. How does this affect me, me, me?

RadioBowels

Unsnarkable!

sewollef

Ditto to that. Nothing more to add.

Except maybe to say, BIG YAY!

gullywompr

What kind of apron is she wearing?

ProgressiveInga

Just guessing here, but I would say that the General's celebratory event was not catered by Chik-Fil-A.

chicken_thief

Nor did they hire Marcus as the stripper.

bumfug

And in Arlington National Cemetary Major General Horace Q Ridley, affectionately known to his troops as "The Fighting Ass Bandit", is finally fully at rest…

fartknocker

John McCain is not pleased. Cindy McCain is even less pleased because John just dropped a pant load into his Depends.

vulpes82

Like Cindy would even notice. She's in San Diego, banging some Marine drill sergeant fresh off the beach.

Baconzgood

If Mitt wins he'll fire her.

vulpes82

"Man-broads"? Really? That's all you can come up with? Oh, honey… Also, I'll bet they're more attractive men than you've ever been, and more broad than you'll ever hope to get!

http://wonkette.com/ weejee

the promotion failed to cause Planet Earth to spin out of orbit into the sun

The Sun cheers!!!

not that Dewey

Not so fast — since 1972, the Earth's rotation has slowed by about 25 seconds. That corresponds to the onset of Feminism, Earth Day, and the Homosexual Agenda. At this rate, the Earth will have stopped spinning entirely in only another 138,240 years. And Brain Fissure will be there with a stopwatch and a clipboard, mocking us.

BoatOfVelociraptors

The sun shines with a nuclear rage. 75 in the shade.

Baconzgood

Now all are drones will be pink and fabulous!

http://www.wonkette.com Lionel[redacted]Esq

This is a brilliant move. Our enemies will be too busy masturbating to the thoughts of all the hot lesbian sex going on behind our lines to defend themselves.

kittensdontlie

These unconventional tactics do work. I am fully expecting Anna Paquin, Jillian Michaels, and Portia Degeneres to be promoted each to Rear Admiral for our upcoming Syrian offensive.

They just want to humiliate her and have her make sammiches and coffee for the JCS meetings.

docterry6973

Pat Robertson may DEMAND that the planet spin out of orbit into the Sun. Stay tuned for developments on that front.

MozakiBlocks

This is a big fucking deal.

barto

This is most definitely a sign of impending DOOM – for the bigotry and hate and homophobia, that is.

BigSkullF*ckingDog

I have always been a sucker for a woman in uniform.

BoatOfVelociraptors

A woman out of uniform has her… charms.

Callyson

Hooah!

http://lostintarnation.blogspot.com/ SayItWithWookies

Hey Colonels Allen West and Lindsey Graham — salute, motherfuckers!

IceCreamEmpress

They're adorable. You go, General and Mrs. General!

chicken_thief

So she taking over command of the mess halls or what?

DaSandman

Congratulations Ma'am.

http://howtosavetheworld.ca/ BZ1

All that muck on the walls, is from wingnut heads exploding

owhatever

Here's a woman who challenged the entire United States Army and won. Don't mess with her, or doubt her ability.

Oblios_Cap

“Finally my partner and I will be able to go out and have drinks together without worrying,” she said then.

It must suck having to worry like that. I know guys that don't worry about going out with their mistress for a drink.

Guppy

Freepers hate our troops!

http://zvibleindmeis.tumblr.com/ Spurning Beer

Last year my wife attended the commissioning ceremony for a lesbian friend who became a Marine officer. Her partner also attended, and a couple of the speakers made some deliberately inclusive and welcoming remarks.

Sometimes it amazes me whom I end up respecting.

Monsieur_Grumpe

I'm still waiting for America to go to hell over stuff like this. I'm getting the impression this God dude really doesn't give a crap.

Mittens Howell, III

I love the smell of civilization in the morning.

http://johnnyzhivago.blogspot.com johnnyzhivago

This restores your faith in America. Then you read the rest of the headlines….

bibliotequetress

Thank you! The best news since Paul Ryan got the veep pick! And it's adorable that they look so much alike.

Stop forcing me to gay-marry somebody who looks exactly like me only without glasses!!1!1

Amanwithnoplan

I love the smell of equality in the morning.

LesBontemps

Keeps her armies in her sleevies?

GeorgiaBurning

A colonel get promoted and the wife helps pin on the stars. That's tradition, WTF is the big deal?

BerkeleyBear

All I'm gonna say is that is quite a spread of "fruit salad" on her chest. I'm seeing jump wings and a combat badge along with a whole shitload of citations. Not someone to fuck with, indeed – and more power to her and her wife.

aaabbbey

Uniform shows she's not only airborne-qualified but a jumpmaster and a (parachute) rigger…which is something quartermasters (her regimental insignia) specifically do. Which means she probably spent a lot of time at Bragg, which is not generally an easy place for women…

MinAgain

She is the very model of a modern gay girl general.

http://www.indiegogo.com/revive-vlad Doktor Zoom

(*golf clap*) Well played!

carlgt1

once in awhile, we do something right in the US — in the face of the strident & stern objections of the Chick-fil-A crowd…..

I hope this trend continues. And as we continue to learn how many gays have been serving honorably in the military all along, I hope the religious right start uncontrollably shitting themselves.

christianmuslin

Today I have learned don't mess with Texas or lesbian generals. This home schoolin thingy may not be such a bad thingy if the teacher is the Wonkette!

rocktonsam

I'm dropping down giving her 20, out of respect!!!

"Ain't that America"

rickmaci

The following is a complete list of the negative consequences for heterosexual soldiers as a result of promoting a gay officer to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Army:

.

Schmegeg

Hey wingers, there's a rumor that the 3d Amendment will be repealed and a fabulous party is slated for YOUR HOUSE!

Troglodeity

She can command thousands of American troops in battle, but she's still unqualified to be a Cub Scout den leader. Go fuck yourselves, Boy Scouts of America.

Tricky_Dick

Hmmm…there is something fishy about this story.

ttommyunger

I posted the link on my FB when the NYT came out with this story. Now, like then: my frontal lobe is OK with it, the 71 year-old wrinkled and gnarly part of my brain is still reeling. Not threatened, not pissed, just a little off-balanced. Did you notice she has fucking Jump Wings? I swear I'm not a misogynist, just a really old soldier.